The present invention relates to a burner for use in a partial oxidation process and particularly a burner for use in manufacturing synthetic gas from coal. The generation of synthetic gas is achieved by the partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon fuel with a free oxygen-containing gas at relatively high temperatures. The burner in a synthetic gas production facility must effectively mix the reactants while at the same time be protected from overheating or chemical attack from the reactants. Inadequate mixing of the reactants will produce a gas having a varying constituency, i.e. some localized areas will be oxygen-rich while other areas will have almost complete combustion. The burner may have a severely limited service life not only because of damage by high rates of heat transfer and, possibly also because of slag impingement on the surfaces exposed to the hot, high pressure, reactive gases inside the gasification reactor.
Various burners have been designed in an attempt to provide a structure which will provide complete mixing of the reactants while at the same time protecting the burner from both the high temperature of the reactants and chemical attack. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,564 there is shown a burner having three concentric nozzles with the tip of the central nozzle being recessed from the downstream or discharge end of the concentric nozzle. The center nozzle conveys hydrocarbon material while concentric nozzles supply oxygen-rich gas for partial combustion. The first two nozzles are surrounded by a third nozzle which supplies a stream of temperature moderating gas or steam. The discharge ends of the two concentric nozzles are designed with converging surfaces so that the two concentric streams mix with the hydrocarbon material adjacent the discharge end of the nozzle. As a result of the recessing of the cental nozzle, combustion occurs close to the wall of the combustion chamber, and the burner tip is subjected to high temperatures.
The present invention, in response to the above noted problems in the prior art, provides a new type of burner which avoids problems with subjecting the burner tip to high temperatures. This and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following disclosure thereof.